Politics

With many ballots still to be counted, early results in Alaska’s Election Day tally gave some indication where some races may be heading.

If you’re in quarantine or isolation because of COVID-19 and can’t get to the polls, here are two ways to cast your vote.

Kusko Cab will provide free rides to and from the polls in Bethel on Election Day. There will be only one voting location in Bethel on that day, at the Cultural Center, where doors will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. There are several ways to vote before Election Day.

Due to the huge surge in COVID-19 cases in Bethel and the region around it, the Bethel City Council passed a resolution asking people to hunker down on Oct. 27. 

Bethel has a new mayor, and her name is Michelle DeWitt. DeWitt was recently re-elected to a two-year term after serving on Bethel City Council for the past year. Haley Hanson remains Bethel's vice mayor. The city council chose the two women to lead it in a unanimous vote on Oct. 19.

There are two candidates running for District 38’s seat in the Alaska House of Representatives. We heard from incumbent Democrat Tiffany Zulkosky on Oct. 21. Veteran's Party Challenger Willy Keppel has declined to be interviewed on “Coffee at KYUK.” In order for voters to make an informed decision, KYUK’s Greg Kim has this story on Willy Keppel’s campaign message, along with information drawn from court records.

State Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky said that her biggest accomplishments have been fighting the governor’s budget vetoes to protect rural Alaska, and the creation of the House Special Committee on Tribal Affairs. That committee led the effort to establish November as Alaska Heritage Month. Zulkosky’s concern for rural Alaska's tribes was evident during her first year in office.

In September 2020, KYUK reported that approximately 130 residents living in Mertarvik did not receive a primary election ballot. After hearing this news, state lawmakers from the state House and Senate wrote letters to state election officials asking how they would fix things for the general election. The Alaska Division of Elections director and Alaska's lieutenant governor shared their response to these questions with KYUK.

This is the second time that Alyse Galvin will try to defeat Don Young, the longest-serving member of Congress. She said that Young has been there too long, and that he doesn’t have any power because term limits prevent him from chairing any committee, even if the Republicans were to regain control of the House of Representatives.